Thursday, March 17, 2011

This Saint Patrick’s Day my thoughts are on my families’ blood lines - where does the Irish come from? For me and my kids it comes from my paternal great great great grandmother whose grandmothers’ family came from Ireland in the early 18th century, and, my grandmother whose grandfather came to Canada from County Tyrone around 1848 (she also provided the French blood line.)

For my grandkids they get 50% of their Irish blood from the Dad who was pure Irish on both his paternal and maternal sides. While we don’t know when his father’s family came to America; his mother’s families came to Baltimore in 1891 and in 1897 from County Mayo.

And when did all these lines come to the Americas? Well you can see the Irish, what about the rest?

Swiss - 1737 to Philadelphia
Welsh - 1724 to Philadelphia and early 18th century to the Carolina’s
English - around 1835 to Canada and early 18th century to Virginia
French - unknown to Canada
Scottish - unknown probably early 18th century
Spanish - unknown probably early 17th century to California and as early as 16th century to Mexico
American Indian-Gabrielino - here first before everybody else!
Mexican Indian - 1885 to California, one branch may have been as early as 17th century to California
Filipino - 1973 to California

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

I love history and I love comparing what the history books and a movie on the same subject treats the same history. Of course and very often the movies are very far removed from what really happened but I still love them. Sometimes my kids ask me about a certain person or period in history and I often refer them to a movie instead of a book because I know that they will probably watch the movie before they read the book.

Recently I began thinking if the movies could cover one of my favorite historical periods - the Kings and Queens of England. So I have gone looking and have compiled this list of movies. They need to be taken with a grain of salt and followed up with a reading from a good encyclopedia to get the facts and catch the errors.

I have excluded anything done by the BBC that hasn’t been shown on PBS and almost everything done for TV unless it is available on DVD. No silent movies either.

Alfred the GreatAlfred the Great (1969): Portrays Alfred the Great's struggle to rid Wessex of the invading Danes, in the 870s AD.Edward the ElderAelfweardAthelsttan the GloriousEdmund the MagnificentEadredEadwig the FairEdgar the PeaceableEdward the MartyrÆthelred the UnreadyThe Ceremony of Innocence (1970)Sweyn I ForkbeardThe Ceremony of Innocence (1970): Depicts a highly fictionalized account of the events leading up to Sweyn Forkbeard's invasion of England in AD 1013.Edmund IronsideThe Ceremony of Innocence (1970)CnutHarold HarefootHarthacnutEdward the ConfessorLady Godiva of Coventry (1955): Other than the fact that he appears in the movie don’t go betting your history book on this movie.Harold GodwinsonLady Godiva of Coventry (1955)Edgar the AEthelingWilliam the ConquerorLady Godiva of Coventry (1955)William IIHenry IThe Pillars of the Earth (2010)StephenThe Pillars of the Earth (2010): Fictionalized version of England during the civil wars between King Stephen and his cousin MaudMatildaBecket (1964)The Pillars of the Earth (2010)Henry IIMurder in the Cathedral (1952)Becket (1964): A young Henry and his friend BecketThe Lion in Winter (1968): An old Henry and his sonsHenry the Young KingBecket (1964)Richard IWhen you get to the Lion Heart and John you have to deal with the Robin Hood legends so I’m providing two separate entries, one for the King and one for the legend.Richard the Lion HeartThe Crusades (1935)King Richard and the Crusaders (1938)The Lion in Winter (1968)Richard the Lion Heart and Robin Hood. Take you pick they are all based on a legend. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938): John is the Norman bad guy, the Sheriff of Nottingham is a fool and Robin Hood is the Saxon national hero. King Richard I is the good Norman and back in England before dying in France. Best actors and best music.Robin and Marian (1976): Robin has already been Robin Hood and is older now and returning from the Third Crusade with Richard. Richard dies in France, Robin returns to England, meets up with Marion, deals again with the Sheriff of Nottingham and dies.Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991): Done somewhat tongue in cheek. Sheriff of Nottingham is the bad guy this time. Best comedy and best line "I'm going to cut out his heart with a spoon".Robin Hood (2010): Change of pace, Richard dies in France, John becomes king and Robin helps him stay king until the end when John makes Robin an outlaw. Best story.JohnWhen you deal with Richard I you deal with his younger brother John. Again, we have to deal with John as King and that the old rascal Robin Hood.JohnThe Lion in Winter (1968)John and Robin Hood. Look familiar?The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)Robin and Marian (1976)Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) Robin Hood (2010)Henry IIIEdward IThe Black Rose (1950): Played, as an idealist seeking to unite Norman and Saxon in his kingdom which is probably true, forget the rest of the movie.Braveheart (1995): Portrayed as a cruel, hard-hearted tyrant which may have been true at this time in his life.Edward IIEdward II: Cinematic version of Christopher Marlowe's play - which uses 20th century clothing and gay rights marches as an aspect of the story.Braveheart (1995): Doubtful portrayal of Edward being cuckolded by William Wallace, who is represented as the real father of Edward III.Edward IIIThe Dark Avenger (1955): More the story of his son Edward the Black Prince.Richard IIRichard II (1982): Film version of Shakespeare’s play.Henry IVThe Black Shield of Falworth (1954): Portrayed but I wouldn’t place a lot of faith on the facts in this movie.Chimes at Midnight (1965): Focused on William Shakespeare's recurring character Sir John Falstaff and contains text from five Shakespeare plays: primarily Henry IV, Part 1 and Henry IV, Part 2, but also Richard II, Henry V, and The Merry Wives of Windsor.Henry VHenry V (1944): Adaptation of William Shakespeare's play of the same name.The Black Shield of Falworth (1954): Portrayed but I wouldn’t place a lot of faith on the facts in this movie.Chimes at Midnight (1965): Focused on William Shakespeare's recurring character Sir John Falstaff and contains text from five Shakespeare plays: primarily Henry IV, Part 1 and Henry IV, Part 2, but also Richard II, Henry V, and The Merry Wives of Windsor.Henry V (1989): Adaptation of William Shakespeare's play of the same name. I think this is the best of the two adaptations.Henry VITower of London (1939) Richard III (1995) Richard III (2007) Edward IVTower of London (1939)Richard III (1955): Film adaptation of William Shakespeare's historical play of the same name, also incorporating elements from his Henry VI, Part 3.Tower of London (1962): Remake of 1939 firm.Richard III (1995) Richard III (2007)Edward VRichard III (1955) Richard III (1995)Richard III (2007)Richard IIITower of London (1939): Historical and quasi-horror film not based on Shakespeare’s Richard III. Boris Karloff plays a great Mord.Richard III (1955): Film adaptation of William Shakespeare's historical play of the same name, also incorporating elements from his Henry VI, Part 3.Tower of London (1962): Remake of 1939 film.Richard III (1995): Adaptation of William Shakespeare’s play by the same name.Richard III (2007): A modern day version of Shakespeare’s play (placed in the 1930’s) that is worth the look.Henry VIIThe Tower of London (1939) Richard III (1955)Tower of London (1962) Richard III (1995) Richard III (2007) Henry VIIIOh gee there are so many that I’m only go for those that are really important films:The Private Life of Henry VIII: Charles Laughton won the 1933 Academy Award as Best Actor for his performance as Henry.Nine Days a Queen (British title: Tudor Rose) (1936)The Sword and the Rose (1953): Fictionalized version of the story of Mary Tudor, Henry’s sister.A Man for All Seasons (1966): Thomas More and Henry VIII “Great Problem”.Anne of the Thousand Days (1969): Henry and his love affair and marriage to Anne Boleyn.Henry VIII and His Six Wives (1972): Film version of the famous BBC television series The Six Wives of Henry VIII.The Other Boleyn Girl (2008): A romanticized account of the lives of 16th-century aristocrats Mary Boleyn, one-time mistress of King Henry VIII, and her sister, Queen Anne, who became the monarch's ill-fated second wife, though much history is distorted.The Tudors: Historical fiction television series based upon the reign of King Henry VIII of England. Events in the series differ from events as they actually happened in history. Liberties were taken with character names, relationships, physical appearance (Henry never gets old or fat) and the timing of events.Edward VIThe life of Edward VI has to be divided into those movies which are not based on Mark Twain’s “Prince and the Pauper” and those that are (and, there are a lot more “Prince and the Pauper” movies!).Edward VINine Days a Queen (UK title: Tudor Rose) (1936)Young Bess (1953)Lady Jane (1986)The Tudors: Includes Edward only before he became king.Edward VI in the Prince and the PauperThe Prince and the Pauper (1937)The Prince and the Pauper (1957)The Adventures of the Prince and the Pauper (1969)Crossed Swords (UK title: The Prince and the Pauper) (1977)Lady Jane GreyNine Days a Queen (UK title: Tudor Rose) (1936): Opens with King Henry VIII on his deathbed stating the order of succession, and ends with Jane's beheading. It took some liberties with the history of the period, including a fictional Earl of Warwick playing a similar role to John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland in real life.Lady Jane (1986): This film is correct in its portrayal of Jane as a precocious and talented scholar, but it is way off in other aspects. Jane was not a social reformer, she hated Guilford (Guilford’s mother forced her to leave her parents home), Jane refused to make Guilford king and Jane and Mary actually got alone very well.Mary INine Days a Queen (UK title: Tudor Rose) (1936)Young Bess (1953)Anne of the Thousand Days (1969): She makes a brief appearance in a scene showing Catherine of Aragon's death; in reality, Mary was not present at this event as she was living far away attending her half sister Princess Elizabeth.Lady Jane (1986)Elizabeth (1998)The TudorsElizabeth IMary of Scotland (1936): The film does not keep close to the historical truth, portraying Mary as something of a wronged martyr and her husband, James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, as a romantic hero.Fire Over England (1937): Pretty much pure fiction as far as all the characters except Elizabeth go.The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939): Historical fiction.The Sea Hawk (1940): Fiction, but, based on Sir Francis Drake and his exploits.Young Bess (1953)The Virgin Queen (1955): Another fictional portrayal; based on Elizabeth and Sir Walter Raleigh.Mary, Queen of Scots (1972)Elizabeth (1998): While it’s a good portrayal of Elizabeth it’s too full of holes, inaccuracies and fictions to be a good account of her life.Shakespeare in Love (1998): A fictional romantic comedy that’s just fun to watch.Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007): Sequel to 1998 Elizabeth.Elizabeth I (2008): A TV miniseries that has been show as a two part movie that is much more accurate that the 1998 version and its 2007 sequel. Still has its fare share of inaccuracies but not as many.The TudorsJames ICharles ITo Kill a King (2003)Cromwell (1970) Oliver CromwellTo Kill a King (2003)Cromwell (1970): Fairly accurate but with errors that make it fictitious history.Richard Cromwell

Charles IIRestoration (1995)England, My England (1995): The story of Henry Purcell.The Libertine (2004)James IIEngland, My England (1995)William III and Mary IIAnneGeorge IGeorge IIGeorge IIIThe Madness of King George (1994): It tells the true story of George III's deteriorating mental health, and his equally declining relationship with his son, the Prince of Wales, particularly focusing on the period around the Regency Crisis of 1788.John Adams (2008)George IVThe Madness of King George (1994)William IVThe Young Victoria (2009): Includes his public tirade against the Duchess of Kent nearly verbatim.VictoriaDisraeli (1929)Victoria the Great (1937): The film biography of Queen Victoria concentrating initially on the early years of her reign with her marriage to Prince Albert and her subsequent rule after Albert's death in 1861.Sixty Glorious Years (1938): Sequel to the 1937 Victoria the Great.Mrs. Brown (1997): Based partially on fact, but how much is true is uncertain.The Young Victoria (2009): Although largely faithful to a selection of historical facts, the film drew criticism for embellishing on events in order to increase dramatic potential. For example, Prince Albert was never shot during an assassination attempt on Queen Victoria.Edward VIISixty Glorious Years (1938)Mayerling (1968)Young Winston (1972)Mrs. Brown (1997)George VA King's Story (1965)Edward & Mrs. Simpson (1978)The Kings Speech (2010)Edward VIIEdward & Mrs. Simpson (1978): A seven-part British television series available on DVD that dramatizes the events leading to the 1936 abdication of King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, who gave up his throne to marry the twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson.Wallis & Edward (2005): Another British television series available on DVD. This time from the view of Wallis, George and Elizabeth.The Kings Speech (2010)George VIEdward & Mrs. Simpson (1978Wallis & Edward (2005)The Kings Speech (2010): A pretty accurate depiction of King George VI‘s effort to overcome his stutter. Introduced to Lionel Logue, an unorthodox Australian speech therapist the two men become friends as they work together, and after his brother abdicates, the new king relies on Logue to help him make a radio broadcast at the beginning of World War II.Elizabeth IIThe Queen (2006): Released almost a decade after the event, the film depicts a fictional account of the immediate events following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales on 31 August 1997.The Kings Speech (2010)